Prince Harry to meet King Charles ‘briefly’ next week – but here is what Queen Camilla is set to do him
Prince Harry will be in town to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games with a reading at St Paul’s Cathedral on May 8 – details the Daily Express exclusively revealed in March.
While there is a possibility of a brief meeting with his father, King Charles, on the fringes of the Buckingham Palace Garden Party on the same day, sources say the chances of Queen Camilla attending the meeting are slim. “Let’s just say that the Queen might be otherwise engaged,” the source said. “Although the King will have time in his dairy for a brief visit, that hasn’t been confirmed yet due to the garden party schedule. Even if Harry does meet with his father, it is highly unlikely that Camilla will be in the same room.”
During his last visit to the UK in early February, Harry reportedly had a swift 45-minute meeting with the King at Clarence House. The details of that visit remain shrouded in mystery, including whether Queen Camilla was present. This upcoming trip will be Harry’s first time back in Britain since that quick visit, which was triggered by King Charles’s cancer diagnosis. “Harry did the right thing by flying over in February,” the source said. “But it was very much a last minute surprise and was somewhat forced upon the household. The optics wouldn’t have been good if a meeting didn’t take place at that time.”
The duke’s stay in London next week will be brief. Sources close to the royal family say that the meeting between Harry and the King, if it happens, will be short due to the King’s packed schedule, which includes a weekly audience with the Prime Minister and attending the season’s first Buckingham Palace Garden Party, which is also being held on May 8. “Health permitting, the King is due to attend the garden party at Buckingham Palace on May 8,” the source said. “If a meeting with Harry were to take place it would have to be just before or after that.
“There won’t be any special arrangements made for a meeting, but one could be squeezed into plans already in place.” Harry’s relationship with the Royal Family has been the subject of intense public scrutiny, especially following his move to the United States. While the possibility of father and son reuniting has sparked a media frenzy, the logistics and timing of their schedules suggest any interaction will be constrained.
“Harry is really trying to repair the damage that has been caused over the past few years,” the source said. “The Royal Family are like any other family deep down and it is hard for them to welcome someone back into the fold who has caused them so much pain and upset. Only time will tell.”
